Harmony holds public hearing, votes to join stormwater authority
HARMONY — Borough council voted unanimously Tuesday, June 4, to join a regional stormwater authority.
Fielding questions and concerns from both Harmony and Zelienople residents about fees, developments and the amount of power the authority will be able to wield, council vice president Don Sims explained his position.
“The reason I support the authority — of which I was not an initial supporter — is because we’re a borough and we have to have an authority to protect us, we can’t just form a commission,” Sims said.
Sims also said he was not fond of increasing the role of government, but said this authority would help the residents most impacted by flooding.
Harmony, along with Zelienople, Jackson Township and Evans City are holding public hearings and voting to form the Southwest Butler Stormwater Authority to help mitigate and prevent stormwater issues among the municipalities.
“The purpose will be to have the authority govern stormwater issues in the borough,” said solicitor Matthew Racunas. “It will be able to implement fees in order to remedy any stormwater issues and hopefully mitigate stormwater damages that happen often in this borough.”
Racunas said once the group is officially formed, a resolution will be created to sort out all the details of what the authority will and will not be able to do.
“We’re in the baby stage,” he said. “We’re just trying to create the baby, and then the baby will grow up and make decisions.”
Michael Mantia, the general manager of US Liner Company, at 300 Ziegler St. in Harmony, said he was concerned about the fee the authority would charge residents and businesses based on impervious surfaces.
“My concern is your establishing this authority and you’re actually (charging a fee) to the victims of the flood,” he said. “Not just US Liner as a business, but other residents that will be assigned a fee to pay and yet they will also incur the cost associated with being flooded.”
Several council members said they understood Mantia’s concern but reiterated that the municipalities joining forces would be able to accomplish much more together.
